Alarm clock



Nov. 2, 1937. J.E. KINNEAR ALARM CLOCK Filed Feb. 6, 1936 s Sheets-Sheet 1 FiGLl.

INVENTOR. JAMES. E. .KINNEAR.

J. E. KINNEAR ALARM CLOCK Nov. 2, 1937.

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1956 INVENTOR.

JAMES E Kl NN EAR a w G M u f Pie .3.

any 7 J. E. KINNEAR ALARM CLOCK Nov. 2, 1937.

Filed Feb. 6, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fis.6.

Fie.5.

Fis .7.

INVENTOR.

JAMES .E .KINNEAR.

Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE Application February 6, 1936, Serial No. 62,646 In .Great Britain February 13, 1935 7 Claims.

This invention refers to improvements in and relating to alarm clocks.

In this specification the words alarm clock" are intended to cover not only clocks provided with marked faces for domestic or time indicating purposes, but also clockwork mechanism, not necessarily provided with a marked face, but designed to give an alarm at a predetermined time or after a predetermined interval of time.

Alarmclocks as at present constructed suffer from various disadvantages.

For example, the indicator is usually a small circle on the face of the clock or at the back,

a divided into48 parts representing hour intervals. With such small divisions it is rarely possible to set the alarm with any degree of accuracy beyond minutes, as the slightest deviation from one of the marked divisions will represent an error of some minutes in the time that the alarm 2: goes off. In addition, the controls for setting the v alarm and for adjusting the positions of the clock hands, as well as the winding mechanism or the starting mechanism are all at the back, and this means that the clock must be moved from its po sition each time it is desired to set it or alter it, or else the person attending to the matter must adopt a very constrained and awkward position whilst making the adjustment, etc.

If the clock is an electrically operated clock there is the further disadvantage thatwhen the clock is moved, the flex connecting it to the source of current, may cause damage to. articles in the vicinity, or, if the flex is momentarily forgotten, or it is shortened to prevent accidents to other '5 articles, it may be pulled or jerked and cause the clock to be jerked from the holders hands, smashing the clock, fusing the electric mains, or giving an electric shock to the manipulator.

The object of the present invention is to produce an alarm clock in which the above and other disadvantages of the usual type of alarm clock are avoided, and in which the alarm can be set with a greater degree of accuracy than heretofore.

According to this invention a single spindle, mounted through a dust tight fitting in the bezel of the clock below the clock face and projecting to the front thereof, controls the alarm setting mechanism, the indicating mechanism, an electrical switch partly closing an electrical circuit for giving an audible or visual signal on completion of the circuit, the clock starting or winding mechanism and the hand adjusting mechanism.

In carrying out this invention, a spindle is mounted in the bezel of a clock, below the face and projecting towards the front, the outer end of the spindle being provided with a knob by means of which it can be rotated. This spindle is formed as a rotatable, two-positional pushpull switch, in one position partly closing an electrical circuit'in readiness to be completed and the alarm given, and in the other position cutting out the electrical circuit and preventing the alarm from being given.

Mounted on the spindle inside the clock casing is a toothed control wheel adapted to engage with, and be disengaged from, a toothed wheel in permanent engagement with a toothed setting wheel of insulating material, mounted in the casing parallel to the clock face and made as large as is practical commensurate with the inside overall dimensions of the clock. On the face ofthe setting Wheel is a contact pin, stud or the like, which projects into the path of a flexible contact arm mounted on the hour hand spindle and rotating therewith, but insulated therefrom. This arm and the contact on the setting wheel are permanently in the circuit of an electrically operated audible or visual alarm signal, which circuit is controlled by the control spindle aforesaid, so that when the contact arm (whose movement duplicates that of the hour hand) rotates and makes contact with the contact pin, stud or the like on the face of the setting wheel, provided the switch is closed, the circuit is completed and the alarm signal is given.

Geared to the setting wheel is the indicating mechanism.

The indicating mechanism comprises three discs mounted just behind the face of the clock. One disc is marked on the face around the circumference thereof l-12 and represents hours, whilst the other two discs are marked in a similar manner 05 and 0-9 representing respectively tens of minutes and minutes.

These discs are fixedly mounted on rotatable spindles connected to at Geneva movement, the arrangement being such that for each revolution of the minutes wheel the tens of minutes wheel is rotated by one tooth, and for each revolution of the tens of minutes wheel, the hours wheel is rotated by one tooth.

In the clock face are apertures through which can be seen the figures on the discs, so that when the alarm is set, the time for which it has been set can be seen through these apertures.

Mounted between the clock face and the indicating discs is a shutter operated by the control spindle. When the alarm is not set and the electrical circuit is cut out, this shutter is in front of the indicating discs so that these cannot be seen through the apertures. When the alarm is set and the electrical circuit partly closed in readiness for completing by the meeting of the flexible contact arm and the contact pin, stud or the like, this shutter is displaced from in front of the indicating discs and one set of figures thereon can be seen through the apertures. These figures are geared by their mechanism to form, by multicombination, 720 different numbers, which is the number of minutes in 12 hours, i. e. a whole clock face.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

F g. 1 is a side elevation of an electrically driven clock with my invention applied thereto, the actual clock mechanism and the enclosing casing being omitted for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic extended view of the details of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the alarm setting wheel and the reducing gearing;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the Geneva movement for operating the time indicating discs;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the clock with the alarm mechanism inoperative;

Fig. 6 is a similar view, but with the alarm mechanism operative;

80 Fig. '1 is a front view similar to Fig. 6 with part of the face broken away to show the shutter and indicator discs; and

Fig. 8 is a similar view to Fig. 7 with the shutter in operative position in front of the indicator discs.

In all the figures of the drawings the same or similar parts have the same reference numerals.

As illustrated, the spindle l, which projects through the front of the clock casing (not shown) and below the mechanism, is provided at its outer end with an operating knob 2. This spindle I is adapted to be moved axially in the casing and to be rotated by the knob 2. Its inner end is formed as a push-pull switch, being provided with a band of insulating material 3 adjacent the extreme end 4. The end 4 and the band 3 are adapted partly to close, or to open, an electric alarm circuit, to be described later, by engagement with two spring clips 5, 5, fixed to the casing and permanently in said electric circuit.-

Mounted on the spindle is a toothed control wheel 6 adapted to engage with, or be disengaged from, a toothed wheel 1 permanently in engagement with an alarm setting wheel 8 of insulating material. This toothed setting wheel 8 is mounted in pivots in the casing parallel to the face of the clock and is made as large as possible commensurate with the inside overall dimensions of the clock. On the rear of the toothed setting wheel 8 is a brass ring 9, permanently in the alarm circuit through the wiping contact II. A stud |5 on the ring 9 projects through an aperture in the toothed setting wheel 8 to the face thereof and in the path of a spring contact arm fixed to a metallic bush i2, secured on the hour hand spindle i3 and rotatable therewith but insulated therefrom by the insulating material i3a. This bush I2 is connected to the alarm circuit by means of a wiping contact |4 permanently in the said circuit. The minute hand M is mounted, in the well known manner, on a shaft 8 inside of shaft l3, which carries the hour hand H.

' The parts' are shown in Fig. 2 in the alarm operative position, that is, the spindle I has been binations of fi ures, onefor each minute of' imezf pulled out until the metal-end 4 is engaged by the clips 5, 5. The alarm circuit is as foilows: From the terminalT, which is connected either to a main circuit or to a battery, through the lead direct to the wiping contact i4, thence to the 5 bush i2, contact arm At this point the circuit is broken and remains broken until the contact arm engages the stud i5 on the ring 9. This completes the circuit through the wiping contact i0, lead to the alarm is, shown as a lo buzzer, and thence through one spring clip 5, the metallic end 4 of the spindle I, the other spring clip 5 and thence to the other terminal T. When the circuit is so completed, the alarm will be given. 15

Permanently in engagement with the toothed alarm setting wheel 8 is a toothed wheel |1 connected by a reducing gearing i8, i3, 20, 2|, with the Geneva movement operating the indicator discs. 20

The indicating mechanism comprises three discs, one marked circumferentially on its face with the numerals 0-9 to indicate minutes, the second similarly marked with the numerals 0-5 to indicate tens of minutes, and the third marked 25 with the numerals 1-12 to indicate hours. These discs 22, 23 and 24, are mounted immediately behind the clock face 25 ,which is apertured at 26, 21, 28, so that the appropriate figures on the discs 22, 23, 24 will show therethrough. These 30 discs 22, 23, 24 are mounted on the forward ends of spindles 29, 30, 3|, on the rear ends of which are the toothed wheels of a Geneva movement, 32, 33, 34. The Geneva movement is operated as follows:-The last wheel 2| of the reducing 35 gearing l8, I9, 20, 2| is mounted on the spindle 29 of the minutes disc 22. Fixed on the same spindle is a star wheel 35, having ten teeth, each of which is adapted to be engaged by a spring operated roller 38 fixed to the clock frame, in 40 order to ensure that the figures on the front of the disc 22 show through the opening 23 in proper position. Fixed on the same spindle 29, adjacent the star wheel 35 is a wheel 32 having one tooth or projection 31. Once for every revo- 45 lution of the wheel 32, this tooth or projection 31 will engage one tooth of the wheel 33 and rotate it one tooth. A wheel 38 having one tooth or projection 33 is fixed to the spindle 30 of the tens of minutes disc 23 and at each revolution of the 50 wheel 33, the projection or tooth 39 will engage in one tooth of the wheel 34 and rotate it by one tooth.

It will be seen that as the disc '22 is marked from 09 to indicate minutes, one complete revo- 55 lution thereof will indicate a time of 10 minutes. One complete revolution of the wheel 32 will rotate the wheel 33 by one tooth and six revolutions of the wheel 32 will be necessary to rotate the wheel 33 one complete revolution, indicating a 60 time of one hour. One complete revolution of the wheel 33 will rotate the wheel 34 by one tooth, and twelve revolutions of the wheel 33v are necessary to complete one revolution of the wheel 34, indicating a time of 12 hours. For one com- 65 plete revolution of the wheel 34, the wheel 32 makes- 12 revolutions, each revolution of the, wheel indicating a time of 10 minutes. That,is,"

for each complete revolution of the wheel 34,..the

in twelve hours. It will be perfectly obvious that, instead of being geared to the alarm settingwheeif'8, the

Geneva. movement could be geared direct to the control spindle I.

When it is desired that the alarm should not function, the spindle I is pushed in, thus causing the end 4 to be disengaged from the spring clips 5, and the band of insulating material 3 to be engaged therewith, thus preventing the circuit from being completed. At the same time the control wheel 6 on the spindle I is disengaged from the toothed wheel I in permanent engagement with the alarm setting wheel 8. Pushing in of the spindle I causes a cone 40 thereon to engage in an aperture H in a lever 42 pivoted at one end adjacent and above the aperture 4| to a plate 43 in the casing. The opposite end of the lever 42 has a nose 44 which projects forwardly over the nose 45 of a shutter 46 pivoted at 41 to the plate 43, and connected by a spring 48 to the clock casing. As the cone 40 engages in the aperture 4| of the lever 42, the nose 44 of the lever will be forced down, thus forcing down the nose 45 and causing the shutter 46 to turn about its pivot 41, against the tension of the spring 48, and cover the numerals showing through the apertures 26, 21, 28, in the clock face. On pulling out the spindle I, the cone 40 will be disengaged from lever 42, and spring 48 will rotate the shutter 46 from behind the apertures 26, 21, 28 and allow the figures thereunder to be visible. When it is desired to adjust the hands of the clock, the spindle I is pushed in, thus breaking the alarmcircuit. In this position a toothed wheel 49 on the spindle I will be close to a toothed wheel 50 in permanent engagement with a toothed wheel 5I mounted on the hour hand spindle I3. A slight inward pressure of the knob 2 against the pressure of a blade spring 52, hearing against the plate 43, willcause the wheels 49 and 58 to engage, and by rotation of the spindle I, still keeping the pressure thereon, the hands can be rotated as desired for correctional purposes.

Mechanism is provided for either giving a start to an electric 'motor for driving the clock, or for winding the spring of a spring driven clock.

When the spindle I is pulled out so that the spring clips 5, 5 engage the end 4 thereof, a cam 53 on the spindle I is closely adjacent a cam 54 mounted on a spindle 55 on whichv is -mounted an arm 56, secured by a spring 58 to the clock frame. By exerting an outward pull on the knob 2, against a blade spring 58 bearing on a plate 68 in the casing, the cam 53 will be caused to engage with the cam 54, and by rotation of the spindle I in a counter-clockwise direction, still exerting the' outward' pull, the arm 56 will be caused to rotate clockwise against the tension of the spring 58. The arm 56 will, in its rotation, engage one end of an arm. 6I mounted centrally on a spindle 62 and having a projection 63 on its otherend. A spring 64 secured at one end to the 'clock frame, is coiled round the spindle 62 and its free end extends upwards and engages a toothed wheel 65 secured to the spindle of the motor driving the clock.

As the arm 56 rotates, it will rotate the arm 6| and cause the projection 63 thereon to bear against the end of the spring 64, thus tensioning same. As the cams 53, 54 disengage, the arm 56 will disengage from the arm GI and the spring 64 will be suddenly released from tension and will rotate the toothed wheel 65, thus giving a flick start to the motor. It is to be noted that when the spindle I is pulled out against blade spring 59 to operate the starting mechanism, the wheel 6 will be disengaged from the wheel I, so that neither the wheel 8 nor the indicating mechanism is rotated.

It will of course be understood that the starting mechanism above described can be used to wind the spring of a spring driven clock by continued rotation of the spindle I.

The alarm. mechanism operates as follows:-

When it is desired to set the alarm to go off at a certain time, the control spindle I is moved to operative position, i. e., is pulled out, so that the control wheel 6 engages the toothed wheel I. This pulling out causes the shutter 46 obscuring the indicating disce 22, 23, 24, to be displaced and allow small portions of each disc to be seen through the apertures 26, 21, 28 in the face 25 of the clock, indicating the time to which the alarm is set. This pulling out of the control spindle I closes the switch 5, 5 of the electrical circuit connected with the alarm and in which are both contact arm II and the stud I5 on the setting wheel 8. The control spindle is then rotated and this rotates not only the setting wheel 8, but also the time indicating discs 22, 23, 24, which are geared to the setting wheel 8 through gearing I'I, I8, I9, 20, 2|. Rotation is continued until the discs indicate the time desired. When this point is reached, the contact stud I5 on the face of the setting wheel 8 will be in a position which the hour handwill reach at a time corresponding to the time on the clock face denoted by the indicating discs. As the hour hand spindle rotates it carries with it the contact arm II and as the arm makes contact with the stud I5 on the face of the setting wheel 8, the electrical circuit is completed and the alarm signal is given. After the alarm has been given, the spindle I is pushed in, break ng the electrical circuit and simultaneously raising the shutter 46, which obscures the indicator discs 22, 23, 24, showing that the alarm mechanism is inoperative.

The invention has been described and illus- I .able and rotatable and adapted to be manually operated from the front of the clock for operating said closing means, a member on said control member for rotating the alarm time setting means, and gearing for rotating the alarm time indicating means simultaneously with the rotation of the alarm time setting means by said control member.

2. In combination with an alarm clock mechanism, an apertured clock front, a shutter pivotally mounted immediately at the rear of said clock front normally closing the apertures therein, an

alarm time indicating means, marked with figures to represent hours and minutes, rotatably mounted at the rear of said shutter, an alarm time setting means, a single control member axially movable and rotatable and adapted to be manually actuated from the front of the clock for operating said closing means, a member on said control member for rotating the alarm time setting means, and gearing for rotating the alarm time indicating means simultaneously with the rotation of the alarm time setting means by said control member.

3. Incombination with an alarm clock mechanism, an apertured clock iront, means immediately at the rear of said clock front normally closing the apertures therein, an alarm time indi-' cating means, marked with figures to represent hours and minutes and having a number of posi-' tions giving a minute to minute setting, rotatably mounted at the rear of said closing means, an alarm time setting means having a number of positions giving a minute to minute setting, a single control member axially movable and rotatable and adapted to be manually actuatedfrom the front oi the clock for operating said closing means, a member on said control member for rotating the alarm time settingmeans, and gearing for rotating the alarm time indicating means simultaneously with the rotation of the alarm time setting means by the control member.

4. 'In combination with an alarm clock mechanism, an apertured clock front, means immediately at the rear of said clock front normally closing the apertures therein, an alarm time indicating mechanism, marked with figures to represent hours and minutes and having a number of positions giving a minute to minute setting, rotatably mounted at the rear of said closing means, an

alarm time setting wheel having a number of positions giving a minute to minute setting, a single control member axially movable and rotatable and actuated from the front of the clock for operating said closing means, a member on said control member for rotating the alarm time setting wheel, and gearing for rotating said alarm time indicating mechanism simultaneously with the rotation of said alarm time setting wheel by the control member.

5. In combination with an alarm clock mechanism, an apertured clock front, means immediately at the rear of said clock front normally closing the apertures therein, an alarm time indicating mechanism, marked with figures to represent hours and minutes and having a number of positions giving a minute to minute setting, rotatably mounted at the rear of said closing means, an alarm time setting wheel having a number of positions giving a minute to minute setting, clock starting mechanism, hand adjusting mechanisms. spindle axially movable and rotatable and actuated from the front of the clock, 117 118 a cam adapted to engage with said closing means and having members eng llnl alternatively with the alarm time setting wheel, the clock starting mechanism and {the hand adjusting mechanism, and gearing for rotating the alarm time indicating mechanism simultaneously with the rotation of the alarm time setting wheel by the control spindle.

B. In combination with an alarm clock mechanism, an apertured clock front, a shutter pivotally mounted at the rear of said clock front normally closing the apertures therein, an alarm time indicating means, marked with figures to represent home and minutes, rotatably disposed at the rear of the clock front, an alarm time setting means, an electrical circuit associated with the alarm time setting means, a switch interposed in said circuit, clock starting mechanism, hand adlusting mechanism, a single control member axially movable and rotatable and adapted to be manually operated from the front of the clock for operating said shutter, said alarm time setting means, said electric switch, said clock starting mechanism, and said hand adjusting mechanism, and gearing for rotating the alarm time indicating mechanism simultaneously with the rotation of the alarm time setting means by the control member.

7. In combination with an alarm clock mechanism, an apertured clock front, a shutter pivotally mounted at the rear of said clock front normally closing the apertures therein, an alarm time indicating means, marked with figures representing hours and minutes, rotatably disposed at the rear of the clock front, an alarm time setting means, an electrical circuit associated with the alarm time setting means, a contact stud permanently in said circuit, a switch interposed in said circuit, an arm fixed to the hour hand spindle of the clock and adapted to contact with said contact stud to close the electrical circuit at the predetermined time for which the alarm has been set, clock starting mechanism, hand adjusting mechanism, a single control member axially movable and rotatable and adapted to be manually operated from the front of the clock for operating said shutter, said electric switch, said clock starting mechanism and said hand adjusting mechanism, a member on said control member for rotating said alarm time setting means, and gearing for rotating said alarm time indicating means simultaneously with the rotation of the alarm time setting means by the control member.

JAMES EDWARD KINNEAR. 

